5 Heavenly Herb Recipes + How to Grow Your Own Container Garden

Whether you live in a house with a big yard or an apartment with a tiny balcony, you can have a flourishing herb garden of your own. Our 5 delicious recipes show you how easy it is to use fresh herbs in creative – and sometimes unexpected – ways.

For many of us across North America, the last frost of the season has passed, which means that right now is the perfect time to jump on planting an herb garden to make the most of the growing season.

Having your favorite fresh herbs close at hand is a great way to add oomph to your cooking, save money and, of course, reap the amazing health benefits that herbs have to offer such as disease fighting antioxidants. Plus, having an herb garden is simply convenient – imagine being able to run out to your balcony or yard to snip off a sprig of mint to make a cup of tea or harvest a bunch of basil to make your own pesto.

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Of course, planting and harvesting herbs is just the first step – using those herbs in your cooking to add big flavor is the second. Our five recipes will motivate you to use your homegrown herbs in new and innovative ways to infuse your cooking with the fresh flavors from your garden.

1. Pasta Primavera with Spring Herbs

Chives are a prime source of dietary fiber, mint aids with digestion and tarragon is an aromatic herb that can improve heart health, vision and strengthen your muscles. Parsley contains Vitamins B12, C, K and A, and is known to maintain healthy blood pressure levels and improve immune system function.

2. Pork Saltimbocca with Sage Mashed Potatoes

While sage has long been suggested to improve memory anecdotally, science also shows that it has potential as a possible treatment for Alzheimer's disease as it has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In a study published in Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior, sage oil was found to inhibit an enzyme that breaks down the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (a drop in acetylcholine levels can lead to Alzheimer's).

3. Dill-Poached Salmon with Herbed Yogurt Sauce

Both dill and salmon are nutritional heavyweights. Dill is rich in calcium, iron and magnesium. Calcium protects bones and teeth, iron is essential for carrying oxygen to all parts of your body, and magnesium is necessary for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body. Protein-rich salmon is also high in vitamin B12, which is needed to form DNA, maintain nerve health and produce healthy blood cells.

4. Basil Lime Sorbet

Basil is rich in phytochemicals that have been proven to reduce stress levels and also contains volatile oils that can halt bacterial growth (e.g., acne). This herb is also loaded with manganese, vitamin K and copper.

5. Summer Roll-Inspired Noodle Bowl

Both basil and mint offer powerful health benefits: Basil contains flavonoids that help protect the body's chromosomes from radiation, while mint has relaxing properties to help soothe an upset stomach. Both herbs also have antibacterial properties.

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